


With A Brush

by Ladymordecai



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Caretaking, Domestic, F/F, Fluff, Post-Season/Series 05 Finale, T because naked but not sexy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:34:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25065472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ladymordecai/pseuds/Ladymordecai
Summary: Catra discovers a better way to get mud out of her fur than taking her claws to it.  Adora helps.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 212





	With A Brush

**Author's Note:**

> Set *mumbledy* after the finale. I love these two taking care of each other, and also think about Catra's fur too much.

Catra stalked back toward Bright Moon palace, trying to keep hold of her temper. This wasn't about her-- _everyone_ had gotten covered in mud during their latest training session. Then they'd all fallen on the food they brought, because sparring and running and climbing and sparring some more made the princesses and assorted other warriors desperately hungry, Catra right along with them. They'd all scraped off their faces and hands and had at the food.

The trouble was, it had rained the night before and into the early morning, with mist blanketing the Whispering Woods until midmorning. The sun had come out by the time they'd finished (Catra and Adora's team won, obviously. Mostly. Mermista and Frosta came really, really close, though), and thus: dried mud baked into her fur.

The others could brush the worst of it off their skin, and Melog had gone through a dozen shapes until the mud just fell off, but Catra pulled off as much fur as mud when she tried, and it hurt, dammit.

At least Swift Wind was in a similar position. His feathers had come out all right, but his flanks and legs were covered. He and Adora trotted up the hill behind Catra, chatting and laughing.

Catra clenched her claws into the bottom of her shirt and didn't, didn't, _didn't_ shout.

"Catra, I'll meet you inside, okay?" Adora called. Catra turned around to look and saw her girlfriend following her Noble Steed. "I've gotta brush Swifty to get all that mud off."

Catra waved in acknowledgment, but her mind whirred. Brushing? Weren't brushes for hair?

Frustration knocked out by curiosity, Catra waited until Adora and Swift Wind had gone into the pearly pink dome where Swift Wind lived. Then she dropped to all fours and ran over. She scrambled up the side, then perched in the well of one of the round windows that let in light.

Below, Swift Wind and Adora were spreading out a tarp. Then Adora fetched a box from the shelves on one side of the dome, and Swift Wind pranced into the center of the tarp, lifting his pink and rainbow wings. His voice came through the window faintly.

". . . could roll around in the grass for a while, but this is so much faster and more dignified."

"Don't worry about it, Swifty!" Ugh, she loved Adora, but she could be so perky sometimes. At least right now she had a line of mud dried on her cheek, from when Catra maaaaaybe painted a streak of mud with her finger to make her laugh.

Adora pulled a large rectangular brush out of the box. The brush wasn't like the second (or fifth) hand brushes they'd used in the Fright Zone, missing teeth or with broken handles. It had a wooden base with a strap on the back Adora put her hand through, and thick, closely-spaced bristles. Maybe it was just for horses?

"Come on, come on, I'm starting to itch!" Swift Wind's complaint reminded Catra of her own itchy fur, and she shivered trying to restrain herself from clawing off all the mud, and half her fur with it.

Adora got to work, running the brush in long strokes with the grain of Swift Wind's hair, then in short, harder strokes on the muddied parts. Catra watched as the mud flaked off.

Right. She needed a brush.

Catra jumped down from the dome and landed in a crouch, then sprinted on all fours back to the palace. Glimmer would know where she could get a brush like that.

***

Yikes. Catra made a mental note to not just knock on the queen's door, but wait until she got an answer before barging in. She did not need to see that much of either of her friends.

Even if Glimmer deserved it a bit for her constant teleportation interruptions, Bow didn't.

After some yelping, though, Glimmer had thrown a brush from her own dresser at Catra and ordered her out. Mission accomplished, Catra went. With maybe one snarky comment right before the door closed, because otherwise her friends might suspect she was Double Trouble.

Remembering the tarp Adora and Swift Wind laid down, Catra contemplated the best spot to do this. Anywhere in the bedroom proper would be difficult to clean up, and Catra wouldn't want to afterward, anyway. Her first thought was the balcony, but she really hated the idea of anyone seeing her. Which left the bathroom.

Shedding her clothes and dropping them in the laundry basket (she hadn't had to do her own laundry since she made Force Captain, which was amazing), she stalked into the bathroom. Her arms, tail, and feet had gotten the worst of the mud, but it had oozed beneath her clothes in places, so her legs, shoulders, and back had patches, too.

Bracing her feet against the cold floor, Catra gripped the brush tight in one hand and held out her opposite arm. "Here goes nothing."

Her first attempt was too hard--the stiff bristles scraped against her skin and dislodged almost as much fur as just tearing off the mud would've. Catra snarled at herself and tried again, gentler. She was working on gentleness. It only came naturally with Adora.

Try number two was too soft, brushing over the mud without dislodging it. Catra's tail lashed, but she tried again, using slightly more force each time until finally the mud crumbled and fell off, leaving the fur beneath intact.

Catra puffed out a breath and moved up her arm, stroking down with the grain of her fine, short fur, getting better as she went. Once the mud came off it even felt a little bit good. By the time she reached her shoulder, she had a silly, proud grin.

The rest of her limbs went relatively quickly, with one stubborn patch on her right bicep and another on the back of her heel. She had to go more carefully with her sensitive tail.

Her legs were starting to tremble from standing so long after a morning of hard fighting. Catra's arms ached, too, with the unfamiliar motions of brushing. But she couldn't sleep like this unless she wanted to wake up even more itchy, and leave the bed itchy for Adora, too, so she persevered.

She'd made it through her belly fur, her sides, and was seriously considering bracing the brush against the wall to get at her back, when she heard the bedroom door open.

A bolt of panic shot down Catra's side. She was naked and unclean and vulnerable, and all of those things had invited pain for most of her life. She almost jumped forward to slam the bathroom door shut, but--this was Adora. She would be safe with Adora.

"Catra?" Adora called out.

Catra seriously reconsidered closing the door, or crossing her arms over her chest, or at least _hiding_ behind the door, but steeled herself. Adora had seen everything there was to see, and, and she shouldn't be embarrassed to be doing something for herself. This was private, but Adora didn't count.

She made up her mind just in time to act nonchalant when Adora stopped in front of the bathroom door and saw her. Catra flicked her tail and Adora went red.

"Oh--oh, uh, hi, Catra." Adora seemed like she couldn't decide whether she wanted to cover her eyes or look Catra up and down. Catra loved putting that look on Adora's face.

"Hey, Adora."

Even redder. Catra smirked.

"What, uh, what are you doing?" Adora's voice squeaked at the end. She was still in her mud-splattered training uniform, white shirt stained brown and pants covered with clumps of horse hair.

Catra held up the brush in one hand and said, "Getting all the mud off."

Adora gulped, and then steadied, that way she had when she made up her mind. Catra loved watching her, her every thought and feeling open on her face. Adora bit her lip, and gave in to the urge to run her eyes over Catra's body.

Then Catra had possibly the best idea of her entire life.

"Wanna help?"

Adora's eyes widened. She was nodding almost before Catra finished asking, and nearly tripped over her own feet stepping into the bathroom. "How can I--?"

Catra turned smartly on the balls of her feet. "Get my back?" She offered the brush over her shoulder, and felt Adora tug it out of her hand.

Adora's other hand settled on her shoulder, her thumb absently stroking Catra's fur. Catra's tail hit Adora's waist and curled around it, the tip flicking at the bottom edge of her girlfriend's shirt.

"Right, uh, okay here we go."

Catra almost teased her about announcing herself like the start of a race, but when the brush touched her back right between her shoulder blades a moment later, she sucked in a breath and didn't speak. Catra definitely would've jumped without the warning.

The brush in Adora's had moved slowly, a little harder than Catra would've liked, but it didn't hurt. Adora hit the first patch of mud and Catra hissed as some of her fur pulled out with it.

"Sorry, sorry--gentler, right!" Adora tried again, and this time got it, a little more confident and a little faster.

Tingles started following in the brush's wake as dried mud and shed fur fell to the tile floor. Warmth radiated from where Adora stood behind her. Catra didn't think there was that much on her back, but Adora painstakingly brushed from her neck to the small of her back, humming in concentration.

When she started at the top again, Catra realized Adora wasn't focused on the mud anymore. She was just--brushing her. Shivery tingles danced across her skin everywhere the brush touched. Catra purred, closing her eyes and reveling in Adora's attention.

After some unknown time, the brushing stopped, and Catra heard the brush clink when Adora put it on the sink. Catra's eyes fluttered open and she looked sleepily over her shoulder.

Adora wore a soft, happy smile, no longer red in the face. The streak of mud from Catra's finger still adorned her cheekbone. Catra smiled back at her, swaying a little with exhaustion and pleasure.

"Let's get you to bed. You need a nap."

Catra nodded and let Adora lead her to their bed, one of the unbearably soft, round Bright Moon beds. Adora poured Catra under the covers and stepped back, but Catra grabbed her hand and mumbled, "stay."

Adora knelt down next to the bed and kissed Catra. Catra closed her eyes and hummed into the kiss. Adora was the best kisser. "I need a shower, or I'll get your clean fur all dirty."

"Mmm-hmm." Catra opened one eye and made her best attempt at a sultry smirk. "Brush it again."

Adora went a little pink and chuckled. "We can brush your fur without getting mud in the bed. I'll be right back, okay? I need a nap, too."

"Fiiiiine." Catra let Adora go, but only because she knew she'd be back.

Adora kissed Catra on the forehead. "I love you."

"Love you too."

Catra fell asleep without even hearing the shower turn on, warm and happy and loved.


End file.
